Proposal is made to study the distribution, biosynthesis and metabolism of aldehydogenic lipids and glycerol thioethers in human heart. The enzymatic interconversion of fatty acids, fatty aldehydes and fatty alcohols will be studied. The project will include the isolation, purification and determination of the properties of the enzymes responsible. The fatty chains of the free and bound aldehydes will be compared quantitatively and qualitatively to the fatty chains of the non-esterified and esterified fatty acids, neutral plasmalogens, and plasmalogens. This will be carried out on the whole heart, subcellular fractions isolated by ultracentrifugation, and serum samples from patients with known heart disease compared to patients with no history of heart disease. The studies involving myocardial specimens will be made on normal hearts and on infarcted hearts and on normal and infarcted tissue from the same heart, the aim being to show a relationship between infarction and the level and distribution of aldehydogenic lipids and glycerol thioethers, as well as the activity of various enzymes.